Ames rolls to impressive victory at THE PLAYERS Championship

March 26, 2006 GolfWeb Wire Services

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -- Stephen Ames went from making fun of Tiger Woods to winning like him.

Ames delivered a major performance Sunday on the treacherous TPC Sawgrass, blowing away the strongest field in golf with a 5-under 67 to win THE PLAYERS Championship by six shots and earn an unlikely trip to the Masters.

Ames made only one mistake, a double bogey on the 10th hole when he took two shots to get out of the bunker, and it looked as if he would have to battle his nerves along the scary back nine of the Stadium Course.

Instead, he poured it on with impeccable shots that stretched his lead so much that the tiny island of a 17th green was only another hole on his way to a dominant victory.

"Except for the 10th hole, I played a flawless round," Ames said. "It felt like a walk in the park."

Ames finished at 14-under 274, six shots clear of two-time U.S. Open champion Retief Goosen, who closed with a 69. The scoring average was 75.378, the second-toughest Sunday in Sawgrass history. Despite playing in the final group, Ames was eight shots better and had the best score of the day.

He earned $1.44 million for his second PGA TOUR victory, and also got a three-year exemption to the Masters.

First up is a family vacation to Orlando with his two children and wife, Jodi, who is recovering from lung cancer that was detected a week after the British Open.

And the Masters?

"I've got to sit down and think about that at this time," Ames said.

Only a month ago, the 41-year-old was lampooned for teasing Woods before facing him in the first round of the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship, saying anything he could happen, "especially where he's hitting the ball."

Woods read his remarks, then sent Ames into the record books with a 9-and-8 victory, the shortest match mathematically possible over 18 holes.

Ames was reminded of those comments throughout the Florida swing, but not anymore. He's THE PLAYERS champion, the winner of the tournament considered golf's fifth major because of the strong field and demanding test.

His victory on a sun-baked afternoon was reminiscent of some of Woods' dominant victories in the majors -- build a lead early, and let everyone else collapse trying to chase him.

Vijay Singh, Sergio Garcia and Mike Weir stumbled early. Ernie Els collapsed late. Goosen got within two shots of him at one point on the back nine, but that didn't last long.

Coming off his double bogey at No. 10, Ames blistered his tee shot and hit a flawless approach into the par-5 11th for a two-putt birdie from 15 feet. On the par-3 13th, his tee shot caught the ridge and rolled to 2 feet for another easy birdie, and he knew THE PLAYERS Championship belonged to him with a 15-foot par save on the 14th.

Instead of playing it safe, Ames played without fear.

He made a 10-foot birdie putt on the 15th, where the hole was tucked on the left side. From the first cut of rough on the par-5 16th, he went after the flag and narrowly cleared a bunker by the lake, making the 25-foot eagle. The only conservative play came on the 17th, the notorious island green. Ames went for the middle of the green, found land, and two-putted for par.

And with a six-shot lead playing the final hole, Ames lived up to his name.

He took dead aim.

"Oh, you just had to go at it, didn't you?" Robert Ames, his brother and caddie, teased him.

Colombian rookie Camilo Villegas, who got into the tournament when Chris DiMarco withdrew, nearly made it into the Masters. He closed with a 71 and finished in a four-way tie for third at 283 to earn $384,000. He moved up to 11th on the money list -- only the top 10 are eligible for the Masters -- coming up $94,971 short.

"I gave it my best, and it looks like it's not going to happen," Villegas said. "Hopefully, there will be plenty of Masters for me in the future."

Tiger Woods was never part of the equation. He twice made double bogey from the middle of the fairway, on Nos. 10 and 14, and closed with a 75. Next up for Woods is the two-day Tavistock Cup at his home course in Isleworth, then off to the Masters next Monday -- depending on his father's health.

As for that guy he pummeled at La Costa?

"That's golf," Woods said. "Each week is so different. Stephen didn't really play all that well when he played against me in the Match Play. The great thing about this game is it starts over the very next week."

This tournament tends to start on the back nine. Ames needed only a few holes to end it.

"It was pretty close at one stage, but he played awesome," Goosen said. "He ran away with it at the end. We all probably thought 9 under would be a good score."

Firm and fast after three straight days of dry, sunny weather, Sawgrass was an accident waiting to happen. Ames started from the inside pole, with a one-shot lead over Singh and Garcia.

Fans didn't have to wait until the back nine to see the big wreck.

Weir, three shots out of the lead when he started, hit into the water on No. 4 and three-putted for a triple bogey, never to be heard from again. He wound up with a 79. Garcia tried a new putting grip that didn't cure his woes. He three-putted for bogey on the easy par-5 second, missing a 2-footer, took bogey on No. 3 from the bunker and went into the water for a double bogey on No. 4 on his way to a 78.

Singh might have been the biggest surprise, the local favorite who has a house down the coastal road and makes his home on the range at Sawgrass. He was hardly a daunting sight for Ames in the final group, as Singh made consecutive bogeys, hit into the water for a double bogey on No. 9 and didn't make a birdie until the 11th hole. He shot 77.

Els went out in 32 and was at 7 under through 11 holes -- three shots out of the lead and two hours ahead of the final group -- when he missed 12-foot birdie putts on consecutive holes, made bogey on the next two and then hit into the water on the 16th and 17th. For all his work, he wound up with a 71.

It all afford Ames a wide smile as he walked along the frightening closing holes, arms raised when he finished.

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